THE DEPARTMENT OF CANADIAN HERITAGE: AT THE HEART OF THE
INFORMATION SOCIETY

Canada's Department of Canadian Heritage has a central role to play
in the emerging information society. With responsibility for
enhancing and promoting Canada's natural and historical heritage,
the official languages policy, multiculturalism and achievements in
the areas of sport, arts and culture, the Department is in a prime
position to promote the development of the key players in this era
of globalized information. Without new content and services, the
electronic highway may never live up to its many high promises.

The public interest is a top priority of the Department and the
Canadian government in their planning for the electronic highway.
The Government of Canada is currently formulating a strategic
framework that will enable it to meet the economic, social and
cultural challenges of the information society. With this in mind,
the responsibilities of the Department of Canadian Heritage are:

*    to promote the development of Canadian culture and ensure the
     availability of Canadian cultural products and services

*    to ensure that Canadians have access to high-quality cultural
     content

*    to ensure that the electronic highway contributes
     significantly to the growth of all Canadian industries and
     serves as a springboard for Canada's cultural industries.

The Department is also interested in the various implications
arising from the convergence of new technologies. It is imperative
that Canada's cultural objectives are met, and the Department will
ensure that convergence takes place in a manner that encourages
fair competition and fosters Canadian cultural identity.

Canadian Heritage is actively participating in the work of the
Information Highway Advisory Council, which is made up of
representatives from industry, trade unions, consumers and public
interest groups. The Council's mandate is to formulate
recommendations on a national strategy for establishing a Canadian
information and communications infrastructure. The Council has set
up various working groups to help achieve its goals. The Department
is very active in the culture and content working group, which is
examining issues of copyright and accessibility of high-quality
services and products. The working group will also make
recommendations to be used in the development of an industrial
strategy aimed at encouraging the growth of cultural industries.

In light of new realities arising from technological convergence,
the Government of Canada has recently passed into law two modern,
yet technologically neutral, pieces of legislation: the
Broadcasting Act and the Telecommunications Act. These laws will
allow Canada to deal with issues arising from the information
highway and will serve as a basis to develop necessary policies.
The Government of Canada has already undertaken to develop such
policies. By way of an Order-in-Council, the Government has
clarified issues related to content, competition and the building
of networks. However, in order to fully realize its objectives, the
Government has asked the Canadian Radio-television and
Telecommunications Commission to submit a report on topics related
to the execution of the Commission's policies. Furthermore, to help
define a "direct-to-home" broadcasting system policy, the
Government has established a public consultation process.

In the areas of arts, culture and conservation, Canadian Heritage
has done pioneering work by setting up the Canadian Heritage
Information Network, or CHIN. This automated data system is used to
compile and disseminate heritage-related information on the
collections and artifacts held by network members. CHIN, which is
able to produce lists containing both visual and textual
information, now has subscribers in over 30 countries. The network
has also been a partner in producing CD-ROMs, some of which have
been highly acclaimed internationally. Since the summer, CHIN has
been accessible on Internet.

The Department is also involved in the International Symposium on
Electronic Arts (ISEA), to be held in Montreal in the fall of 1995.
In connection with this event, Canadian Heritage will organize a
forum on the role of the state in the arts and culture sector.
Special attention will also be given to new forms of artistic
expression. The Department is also a member of the Interprovincial
Council of Cultural Directors, which acts as an instrument of
coordination on cultural issues for the federal and provincial
governments.

In preparation for the February 1995 Brussels conference of leading
industrialized nations (G7), the Department of Canadian Heritage
has coordinated at the national level pilot projects for museums
and galleries, as well as for the libraries and archives sectors.
In cooperation with the National Research Council of Canada, the
Department will present a three-dimensional, high-definition,
colour viewing system, and several "virtual" museum projects
currently being developed with international partners. National
Archives of Canada will present an automated network designed to
make Canada's National Archives more accessible. This system will
be the first of its kind and may serve as a model for other
countries. National Archives will also present an audio-visual
information network which will allow anyone, anywhere in the world,
access to Canadian films, videos and sound recordings.